TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Alabama track and field team earned seven first-place finishes in its first outdoor meet of the 2012 season at the Bulls Invitational, hosted by the University of South Florida.

Holmes’ win in the weight throw came by virtue of a personal best throw of 180-7, shattering her previous best by nearly four feet. Her throw led a UA contingent that earned four top-10 performances with Angelica Howard coming in fourth (172-6), Lee Stowers in seventh (161-1) and Jasmine Williams in eighth (160-8).

Paine’s jump of 12-11.75 won the pole vault and was the second best outdoor mark in school history. Schade, just a week off of finishing second at the NCAA Indoor Championships for her third straight indoor All-America honor, cleared 5-10 in her first outdoor competition of the season. Hetherton recorded a mark of 41-7, her best outdoor jump at UA and the seventh best jump in UA history. Freshman Merilyn Uudmae was fourth in the event with a jump of 39-5

On the track, Shani Chandler won the women’s 400-meter hurdles in a personal best time of 59.63. The men’s team picked up a pair of first-place finishes in the relays as the 4x100-meter relay finished in 40.86 while the 4x400-meter relay turned in a time of 3:12.24. The women finished second in both relays.

The men’s squad also had six other top-10 finishes on the track and three in field events. Dushane Farrier opened the outdoor campaign with a time of 10.48 in the 100 meters while in the other sprints Joel Lynch came in seventh in the 200 meters (21.80) and Dwayne Extol posted a third-place finish in the 400 meters (47.46).

Warrick Campbell led the UA jumpers with a third-place showing in the triple jump by clearing 49-1.5 and All-American Kamal Fuller came in seventh in the long jump.

The team will return to action next weekend with its lone outdoor home meet of the season, the Alabama Relays on March 23-24.